Stake-pocket



J. L. DAHL.

STAKE POCKET.

APPLlCATlON man JAN-18,1921.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

INVENTOI? WITNESS n rromvn PATENT GFFICE.

JOHN L. DAHL, 0F TEAITECK, NEW JERSEY.

STAKE-POCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

Application filed January 18, 1921. Serial No. 438,101.

To all 20 from it may concern.

lle it known that I, JOHN L. DAHL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Teaneck, in the county of Bergen and State of lflew Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stake-Pockets, ofwhich the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to stake pockets, such as are used on railwayfiat cars for retaining on the cars lumber, logs, poles, or other longor bulky articles.

)ne of the objects of this invention is to provide a pocket forsupporting an upright stake in such a manner that to open the pocket andrelease the stake requires a minimum amount of effort and danger to theoperator, as well as a minimum likelihood of damage to the structureitself.

Another object of the invention is to simplify as much as possible theconstruction, thereby enablin me to provide a device at a relatively lowcost and one that will be most practical and efficient in practice.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists inthe arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described andclaimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact detailsof construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose ofillustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate thesame parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view ofmy improvement with the gate closed, but with adotted line showing ofthe gate partially open.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, partly in section on the line2-2 of Fig. 3, the latch being indicated in dotted lines in elevated orreleasing position.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, the position of the stake being indicatedin dot and dash lines.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings I illustrate myimprovement as comprising but three main parts,-viz., the receptacle10', the gate 11, and the latch 12.

The receptacle consists of a box like structure including a flatvertical rear wall 13, two parallel vertical side walls 14 and 15perpendicular to the rear wall, and a bottom 16. The front, except assoon'to be noted, is open are also the lower front corner portions ofthe sides. The rear wall is provided with lateral projections or flanges17 constituting reinforcements for the structure, and the upper ends ofthese flanges merge into laterally projecting cars 18 for fasteningmembers 19. Adjacent to the side wall 15 but spaced somewhat therefromis another wall 20, the space between the walls 15 and 20 serving as ahousing for the latch 12. This housing includes a bottom or shelf21 nextto the rear wall, and a reinforcing member 22 near its front end,

the space between these parts 21 and 22 being reserved for the purposeof free passage of rain, snow, or other extraneous matter.

' The gate 11 is a substantially flat member, having at one end aknuckle 23 bearing between two lugs or cars 24 formed on the front upperedge of the wall 1%, and a vertical pivot pin 25 completes the hinge forthe gate providing for the swinging thereof around the vertical axis ofthe pin 25. The end of the gate remote from the hinge constitutes aprojecting nose 26, which in the normal closed position of the gaterests upon a lug 27 extending forward from the upper front portion ofthe wall 15. Directly above this lug 27 the wall 15 is provided with anextension 28 which prevents any possibility of the gate being forcedupward at any time such as during the unlatching operation. In theclosed position of the gate the nose 25 thereof bears against the frontwall 29 of the latch box.

The latch 12 is pivoted between the walls 15 and 20 upon a horizontalpivot pin 30 extending through said walls and having its headcountersunk preferably in the inner face of the wall 15. The latch isprovided at its front end with a hook shaped head 31 engaging over thenose 26 of the gate holding the gate shut. The head 31 is beveledpreferably to facilitate the automatic lifting of the latch while thegate is being slammed shut. The rear end of the latch is provided withan extension or tailpiece-32, having two distinct functions, one ofwhich is to accommodate one end of a strong coil spring 33 or itsequivalent while the other end of the spring rests upon the shelf 21between a pair of spaced lugs 34 and the rear wall 13 of the receptacle.The purpose of the spring is to hold the latch in closed position withits head engaging over the nose 26 of the gate, but yieldingly so held,permitting the opening of the gate by shoving or knocking upward of theouter end of the latch to the dotted line position of Fig. 2. The otherfunction of the tail piece is to cooperate with a shoulder 35' Lreceptacle into closed position, of a latch engageable overa portion ofthe gate to hold it in closed position, said latch being pivoted on ahorizontal pivot to the recep tacle and having a tail piece projectingrearward from the pivot, said tail piece serving to control the movementof the latch around its pivot.

2. A stake pocket as set forth in claim 1 inwhich the tail piececooperates with a portion of the receptacle to positively limit theupward swing of the latch in releasing the gate.

3. A stake pocket as set forth in claim 1 in which a spring cooperateswith the tail piece to normally urge the front end of ,and extendingthence forward over the top of the gate to hold the gate closed, thehousing being provided with a shelf at its bot tom and adjacent to therear wall of the receptacle, the latch having a tail piece projectingrearward from its pivot over said shelf, and a spring located betweenthe shelf and the tail piece and tending to hold the front end of thelatch down in engaging position.

y 5. A stake pocket as set forth in claim 4 in which there is providedat the rear end of the housing a rigid shoulder cooperating with thetail piece to limit the compression of the spring and the upward swingof the front end of the latch. O

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN L. DAHL.

